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Trinitee Higgins

Professor Morean

English 1201

3 February 2019

Same Song Different Visual Appeals

There have been many songs that have impacted our daily lives such as “Rain on me”.

“Rain on me” by Ashanti was released in 2003 to address the pains and challenges of facing,

and eventually overcoming an abusive relationship. The remix to the song including many other

artists proves the same claim but in the music videos, they appeal to the audience differently.

Can a song still have the same claim but the presentation is different? Well, Rain on me and the

remix proves that a song can. The hit record, “Rain on me” was purposefully released to show

society how an abusive relationship can be overcome even if you have to go through the

struggle. The remix by Ashanti, ft. Ja Rule, Charli Baltimore, Hussein Fatal may have been

created to prove the same claim but presented differently.

To begin, the first music video has a different rhetorical appeal than the other. Not only

does the song appeal through the music video but it also appeals through the lyrics. Both videos

utilize pathos to express the overall meaning of the songs. Through the lyrics and the slow

tempo beat, viewers and listeners start to get a feel for what the lyrics actually mean. The remix

version of the song keeps the same chorus and it goes as follows:

Rain on me (rain on me)

Lord won't you take this (pain from me)

I don't wanna live, I don't wanna breathe till you just

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Rain on me (rain on me)

Lord, won't you take this (pain from me)?

I don't wanna live, I don't wanna breathe ya

By keeping the same chorus it keeps a little bit of the meaning to both songs. This verse brings

emotion to the audience because it explains how she is going through a lot of pain. Also, It

displays her struggle and what she is going through which leads her to believe that she does not

want to live anymore or breathe. Using pathos, Ashanti Rain on me and The remix appeal to

viewers. The remix and the original both bring an emotional appeal because through both

songs the chorus stays the same to display her struggle causing her to not want to live

anymore. There are some key differences in the visual appeals in both videos as well. In the

original music, when Ashanti sings the chorus it represents more of her struggle and how she

feels about her situation because one can feel her struggle as she sings. In the remix, it is more

of her getting over the relationship and she feels that everyone just wants to be known and rise

to the top. In the remix music video, Ashanti, the main character, talks to the people more

trying to get them to understand what her pain was. The original shows how she just goes

through the daily struggle that many people go through in the world. This is still an emotional

appeal even if the two visual appeals were different in the videos.

Next, the audience is an important key if you want to help change other people’s lives.

In the first music video, the audience is more towards women and men that are in abusive

relationships because the video comes off as more sympathetic. It is made for people to feel

and show how they can overcome it. The audience for the remix is more of anyone who is

struggling in life and how one cannot just want the spotlight all the time one has to work for it.
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Both videos provide an audience or appeal to a certain group of people or just for everyone. In

the music field, if there is no audience then what is the purpose of the songs created? Who are

the songs trying to reach? With an audience, it makes the song more relatable. The remix and

original version to Rain on me both have an audience that they are trying to reach.

Furthermore, The relationship between the two music videos is the claim. Having the

same relationship shows a connection and the seriousness of the song. The claim for both

videos is expressed through struggle and it could be overcome. In the original music video a

verse goes as follows:

I'm so tired of the rain

In my life

And I'm so tired of the strain

And now you're gonna lie

Now, in the remix video the verse goes as follows:

Don't look back and keep shining, shining

I had a little struggle

I had a little pain

Both music videos present the same claim through this verse. It shows how Ashanti is

going through the struggle at first and she wants the rain to stop but in the remix it shows how

she is still struggling with herself but she is willing to fight and get through. As the original songs

end it shows a connection to the remix. It is almost like a part two but it is not. It goes from a

certain audience in the first music to everyone. The relationship between the two music videos

is the same which is how the struggle can be eventually overcome.

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To close, both music videos have the same claim but they present it differently. The

lyrical appeal sets an emotional tone for viewers. The visual appeal is more complex because

they have the same claim but when it is presented in the music video it is presented differently.

The audiences for the videos are different. The original is for men and women in an abusive

relationship while the remix is for everyone who is going through and who is struggling in life.

Both videos at the end show how both challenges in life can be overcome. Also, they give an

emotional appeal for both videos because it creates a sense of sympathy for viewers.
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Works Cited

Ashanti. “Rain On Me(Official Audio).” Youtube. December 24, 2003.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxP9-4xu5L8

Ashanti - “Rain On Me” ft. Ja Rule, Charli Baltimore, Hussein Fatal. Youtube. October 6,

.2009.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riNh5yCDrzo